The Ghost Howls

MARCH 8, 2021

Microsoft announces Mesh, an XR collaboration platform. Alex Kipman promised us a Microsoft Ignite conference with an amazing level of immersion , and he kept his word. But since Microsoft owns one of those studios (and using it costs around $100K/day if I remember well!), You are all fantastic! Here you are my flower for you!

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AR Insider

AUGUST 8, 2022

This week, we look at Meta's ongoing metaverse maneuvering, Microsoft's military challenges, and Xiaomi's new smart glasses. Welcome back to Spatial Beats, AR Insider's weekly series that features observations and insights of author and futurist Charlie Fink. This post appeared first on AR Insider.

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AR Insider

JULY 28, 2022

This week on the Reality Bytes Microsoft ‘blocks’ blockchain technologies in Minecraft, Apple opens its Ultra Wideband chip (U1) to developers, and Best Buy plans to launch mini-retail stores. This post appeared first on AR Insider.

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Road to VR

AUGUST 7, 2024

According to a report from Korean tech outlet The Elec , Microsoft has contracted Samsung to supply micro OLED display panels for what is described as “next-generation mixed reality devices.” The post Microsoft Reportedly Orders Samsung Micro OLEDs to Restart XR Hardware Ambitions appeared first on Road to VR.

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Road to VR

JANUARY 26, 2024

Microsoft Teams now lets you hold meetings in 3D and VR, as its immersive chatting platform Microsoft Mesh has now come out of preview. It’s a bit like the now-defunct social VR platform Altspace VR, which Microsoft shutdown last year , albeit built exclusively for business.

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Road to VR

MAY 22, 2024

At Microsoft’s Build developer conference the company announced it was bringing Windows Volumetric apps to Quest, which Microsoft calls a way to “extend Windows apps into 3D space.” Image courtesy Microsoft “We call these Volumetric apps,” Davuluri says in a blog post.

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Road to VR

DECEMBER 22, 2023

Microsoft announced this week that it plans to remove support for its entire WMR platform on Windows, which could make Windows VR headsets inoperable. Where Things Went Wrong But for all the right moves Microsoft made in this venture, there were a lot of wrong moves too. But we just don’t know yet.

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Road to VR

JUNE 26, 2023

Microsoft announced it’s released a public preview of Azure Remote Rendering support for Meta Quest 2 and Quest Pro, something that promises to allow devs to render complex 3D content in the cloud and stream it to those VR headsets in real-time. Image courtesy Microsoft, Fracture Reality The JoinXR model above was said to take 3.5

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AR Insider

JANUARY 11, 2023

This week on Reality Bytes, we discuss ChatGPT’s partnership with Microsoft, travel to the Metaverse with Sony and Manchester City, and tune into the YouTube vs. TikTok short-form video battle. This post appeared first on AR Insider.

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Road to VR

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

Microsoft’s HoloLens-based headset built on contract for the US Army has passed an important round of field testing by soldiers. It was reported in early 2022 that Microsoft was bracing for negative field testing , citing concerns with low-light performance and nausea. IVAS to see if the company could scale production.

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Road to VR

JANUARY 23, 2023

Microsoft is laying off 10,000 employees, and with it the company is axing social VR platform AltspaceVR and its XR interface framework, Mixed Reality Toolkit. In a Hail Mary that few expected, Microsoft turned around and snapped up the ailing platform only two months after the planned shut-down date.

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VRScout

JUNE 13, 2023

This past weekend, Microsoft revealed that a standalone sequel to the 2020 edition of Microsoft Flight Simulator is in the works for PC and Xbox consoles, promising “the latest technologies in simulation, cloud, machine learning, graphics, and gaming.” You can also check out the official FAQ here.

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Road to VR

OCTOBER 1, 2024

Microsoft announced to enterprise partners last week that it’s discontinuing its latest AR headset, HoloLens 2, and pulling the plug on support updates at the end of 2027, leaving many to question whether the Redmond tech giant is shelving the platform altogether. There is no out-of-warranty support or inventory for device exchange.

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Road to VR

JANUARY 13, 2023

In 2021, Microsoft won a United States Army defense contract worth up to $22 billion which would support the development of an Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), a tactical AR headset for soldiers based on HoloLens 2. The rejection cites rocky tests conducted last year.

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AR Insider

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

This week on Reality Bytes, we sing along with TikTok, take out a new line of credit with Microsoft, and see what drops when we shake the proverbial Netflix tree. This post appeared first on AR Insider.

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Road to VR

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

The fast approaching Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is landing on PC and Xbox consoles November 19th. Nobody else has anything like this,” says Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator , Jorg Neumann. Upping the realism, developer Asobo boasts an all-new enhancement of the ground detail.

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Road to VR

AUGUST 1, 2024

Now two more heavyweights, Microsoft and Sony, have joined the Alliance for OpenUSD in support of Universal Scene Description (USD) as the future of authoring and packaging complex 3D content. In addition to Apple, Microsoft and Sony join other members of the group with significant ties to the XR industry, like Meta and Epic Games.

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Road to VR

JUNE 13, 2023

The next iteration of Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) was announced over the weekend, slated to arrive sometime on Xbox consoles and PC in 2024. “Add-ons that were purchased from the in-simulator Marketplace will not need to be re-purchased in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.”

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XR Today - Virtual Reality

JANUARY 24, 2024

Today, Microsoft is making its long—awaited Mesh for Teams immersive VR meeting platform available for enterprise end users. The service is now available for clients, allowing them to access Microsoft’s dynamic virtual remote meeting solution via desktop or Meta Quest headsets. Mesh is helping us achieve that.

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Road to VR

NOVEMBER 20, 2024

Meta announced at Connect in September it was working with Microsoft to bring Windows 11 PCs the ability to automatically pair with Quest wirelessly. Microsoft says it’s launching the feature in public preview at some point in December, which they hope will appeal to users looking to increase productivity.

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The Ghost Howls

JANUARY 23, 2023

Top news of the week (Image by Microsoft) Microsoft lays off 10,000 employees and shuts down its mixed reality projects This is seriously a bad period for the tech industry in general, and of course also for mixed reality. For sure, not having Microsoft backing it will slow down a lot of its development.

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AR Insider

JANUARY 11, 2024

This week on Reality Bytes, we reinvent the Windows keyboard for the first time since its inception, work out with TikTok and Peloton, and look at Apple’s vision for the future. This post appeared first on AR Insider.

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AR Insider

OCTOBER 24, 2024

Microsoft faces more turbulence in its IVAS U.S. Army dealings, while rumors swirl about Apple's Vision Pro scale-back. We have these and other items from XR and AI realms through the eyes of Charlie Fink. This post appeared first on AR Insider.

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XR Today - Virtual Reality

JUNE 19, 2024

This week at AWE 2024, Microsoft announced new avatar integrations and usability enhancements for its recently launched Microsoft Mesh platform. The new features follow Microsoft’s development of its immersive avatar system, which first entered public preview in October 2022. What is Microsoft Mesh for Teams?

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Road to VR

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024

Meta revealed at Connect today that it’s working with Microsoft to bring its Quest platform better wireless pairing with Windows 11 PCs, aiming to make using a PC with Quest a more seamless experience. “Soon you’re going to be able to easily connect to any Windows 11 PC. Quest is the full package.”

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Road to VR

JUNE 20, 2023

Amid mounting pressure from Sony with the recent launch of its PSVR 2 headset for PlayStation 5, Microsoft again affirmed that it’s still waiting for the technology to mature before offering any sort of dedicated VR software or hardware for Xbox.

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VRScout

DECEMBER 11, 2021

Earlier this week, Microsoft founder Bill Gates took to his official blog GatesNotes to lend his thoughts on a variety of hop button topics from climate change and misinformation to COVID-19 and remote coworking. I recommend diving into his full thoughts for a better understanding of Microsoft’s current game plan.

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AR Insider

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

Welcome back to Spatial Beats, AR Insider's weekly series that features observations and insights of author and futurist Charlie Fink. This week, we look at the iPhone 15's spatial stack and XR's ongoing AI infusions. This post appeared first on AR Insider.

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AR Insider

JUNE 26, 2023

Welcome back to Spatial Beats, AR Insider's weekly series that features observations and insights of author and futurist Charlie Fink. This week, we look AI & XR convergence. This post appeared first on AR Insider.

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AR Insider

NOVEMBER 20, 2023

Welcome back to Spatial Beats, AR Insider's weekly series that features observations and insights of author and futurist Charlie Fink. This week, we look at Humane's AI Pin and other XR & AI intersections This post appeared first on AR Insider.

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AR Insider

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

Welcome back to Spatial Beats, AR Insider's weekly series that features observations and insights of author and futurist Charlie Fink. This week, we look at the continued collision of AI and XR. This post appeared first on AR Insider.

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VRScout

JULY 12, 2021

In terms of compatibility, the platform is cross-compatible with nearly every major VR & AR device, including the HTC Vive, Oculus Quest 2, Microsoft HoloLens 2, as well as AR-enabled iOS and Android devices; it’s never been easier to take your friends’ money!

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Upload VR

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 provides players with a virtual reality recreation of Earth that offers a sense of unmatched realism. Flash forward 42 years, and on launch day for Flight Simulator 2024 I waited about eight hours at what might as well have been a virtual airport waiting to connect to Microsoft's servers.

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AR Insider

AUGUST 21, 2023

Welcome back to Spatial Beats, AR Insider's weekly series that features observations and insights of author and futurist Charlie Fink. This week, we look at XR funding and the continued collision with generative AI. This post appeared first on AR Insider.

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Microsoft AR Trends 312

The Ghost Howls

OCTOBER 11, 2022

Microsoft 365 is coming to Quest Pro! It has also partnered with Microsoft and Accenture to facilitate the integration of XR solutions inside companies. At a certain point, Zuck totally surprised me by announcing a strategic partnership with Microsoft. Microsoft Teams immersive meetings experience is coming to Quest Pro!

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ARPost

JANUARY 31, 2023

Much of the post waxes nostalgic about the platform, which launched in 2015 and was purchased by Microsoft in 2017. Why, Microsoft? The team writes that they are closing AltspaceVR to “shift our focus to support immersive experiences powered by Microsoft Mesh.” It has been a privilege to help unlock passions among users.”

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Road to VR

JUNE 22, 2023

At least from the outside, it appears Microsoft isn’t actively competing for a seat at the XR table, which is fairly odd coming from a company that pioneered enterprise AR while simultaneously wrangling some of its top OEM partners to make a fleet of PC VR headsets for consumers in 2017. If Microsoft goes in half-cocked, maybe.

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